spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father which I shall make bold to Paraphrase thus Ye have not now under the Gospel received the spirit of Bondage again as ye did under the Law for some of these Romans to whom he writes were Jews but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby both you and I for the person is changed and all Gospel-Saints cry Abba Father The Law SO FAR as it did reign over the spirits of good people in the days of the Old-Testament brought them under a spirit of Bondage SO FAR and therefore the veâ— same Saints that now were under a Spirit of Adoption by the Gospel yet had been under â— spirit of Bondage in the times of the Law in a great measure unless we will make the person YEE to signifie specifically not numericall that is of Saints like them of the same Nation in times past and not of those very Saints iâ— person to whom he writes but which way sâ—â—ver understood it asserts that the Saints of Goâ— in the times of the Old Testament were in 〈◊〉 great measureunder a spirit of bondage through the darkness of the Dispensation which argues that for those that were under the Law wholly they were certainly under a severe Bondage from the Law and so that this may very well be made a Character of a Legal spirit I am not ignorant that there is another interpretation given of this Scripture by some yet very agreeable with this that I here give viz. That in every work of conversion there is a legal conviction which they call a Spirit of Bondage which goes before faith and that after a man hath truely believed he never receives or returns to a spirit of Bondage again But I think this is not the genuine interpretation onely it may be allowed for true in a great measure and I might borrow strength from it for my present purpose for that this spirit of Bondage in this interpretation is the effect or the work of the Law only but of this the Reader may see more in the 41. page of the foregoing discourse I come now to shew what a spirit of Bondage is now this discovers it self in the very name Bondage or Slavery as also by its opposition to a spirit of Adoption or Son-ship they that are under it serve not God as children serve a father but as slaves serve a cruel master again it is notified to us by the inseparable companion of this spirit and that is fear Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the 2 Tim. 1.7 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of fear God hath not given to us saith the Apostle that is under the Gospel a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde A Gospel spirit is a spirit of love a Legal spirit is a spirit of fear I shall give onely one Scripture more for this that is 1 John 4.17 18 19. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as he is saith the Apostle so are we in this world There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that seareth is not made perfect in love We love him because he first loved us Here I collect and argue We that is We Saints converted by the Gospel have all of us a principle of Love which is quite contrary to that of fear We shall have boldness in the day of Judgement and this we have some fore-tasts of in this world for that spirit which is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Bondage to fear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Love and Son-ship or Adoption which hath an holy boldness in it Hebr. 4.16 and teacheth us to call God Father But on the contrary the Legal spirit hath no such boldness in the presence of God but is alwaies silled with a tormenting fear and horrour at the thoughts of God even as the Devils are in a great degree who believe and tremble and as Cain was who when he could have no rest in his spirit went forth from the presence of the Lord which he could not endure and fell to building a city in probability to drown the noise of his Conscience which else would still have rung in his ears and allarm'd him with this dreadful sentence My punishment is greater than I can beâ—â— or my sin is greater than can be forgiven Perfect love casteth out fear then such as is the proportion aâ—â— degree of Love to God to such proportion and degree 〈◊〉 the tormenting fear of God abated Yet here I must needs acquaint the Reader that there is another exposition of this Text which I think is very allowable if not more genuine than the former that is that perfect love to God casteth out all anxious and solicitous fear of suffering and persecution for God's Cause I shall transcribe somwhat of Dr. Hammond upon the place ver 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world which he first thus translates In this the love with us is perfected that we have boldness and then paraphraseth thus In this the perfection of that love which is to be found in a Christian consists that in a time of danger when we are brought before Judges and may probably lose our lives for confessing of Christ then we retain courage and cheerfulness and confess him willingly that we behave our selves in this world as Christ did when he was here that is lay down our lives in testification of the truth ver 18. there is no fear in love that is saith he such love as this which was in Christ hath no fear in it Christ ventured and under-went the utmost even death it self for us I need transcribe no more But yet I think I may argue strongly even from this Exposition that which I aim at viz. that a Gospel-spirit is free from slavish fear of God at least in a great measure for still the love spoken of in this text it is love to God this love to God is a great Gospel-principle as appears in the text Now can any bear a great love to any person and yet have a slavish fear a tormenting fear of that person at the same time For my part I think love and fear with respect to the same person are very near as opposite as love and hatred and a tormenting slavish fear of any person cannot long be without a great degree of hatred Is it not a famous question in the Politiques concerning the security of a Prince An praestat timeri quam diligi Whether it be more safe for a Prince to be loved or feared of his Subjects
sons a spirit of adoption Having made the spirit of bondage a Character and given you the distinctions upon it I shal briefly shew the inseparable connexion that there is between a legal spirit and it and the very reason how it comes to pass The inseperable connexion between a spirit of bondage and a legal spirit And indeed it must needs be that a legal spirit should be attended with fear and terror for his very way of serving God leads him into it He goes to serve God and to procure acceptance with him by the Works of the Law now the Law as I have shew nis of that nature that it cannot justifie but where there is perfect unerring obedience and therefore to all that seek justification by it and are not surnished with this obedience it can onely prove a Ministration of death terror and desperation So that let the Legallist fancy what he pleaseth at first when he enters upon his way as perhaps he may think to please God and satisfie his own Conscience with offering up some external services either ceremonious or moral and never pretend to keep the whole law and so not to seek justification in the true and proper way that the Law is to justifie yet he shall find himself first reputed and reckoned amongst those that seek Justification by the Law as the Galatians were who yet did not pretend to the proper righteousness of the Law and then he shall find in the next place that because of the imperfection of his obedience the Law is too weak to justifie him and yet it will still shew him his duty and press him to the doing of it and it will discover his defects and sins and the wrath due for them but to allow strength for the fulfilling it self or to procure pardon for any breach of it this it cannot do and so all the effects of the Law upon the Legallist can be only to lash sting and vex him which must needs sill his soul with horror and dread of that God whom hee serves Now I shall not undertake to shew on the contrary how the very nature of the gospel-way must needs produce peace and an holy boldness and confidence in the sight of God though I might shew that out of the very way it self these things would seem to spring or at least that it is very agreeable and suitable to the gospel-way of treating God that it should be accompanied with peace joy and holy boldness in the presence of God for if the great and holy God wil admit any sinful creatures whilst they remain in part sinful into fellowship and holy boldness with himself who can they be other then those that renounce all love to sin abhor themselves by reason of sin and cast themselves for pardon and salvation purely upon his mercy and grace All which I have shewn to be essential to the Evangelical or gospel-way the way of faith and grace which I am contending for Besides we know the gospel way of serving God receives a denomination from faith it is called the way of Faith They that are OF FAITH are blessed with faithful Abraham Gal. 3.9 Now if this way hath so much of faith in it which we know hath affiance in its notion that Faith should deserve to give name to this way as it doth then certainly this way cannot want an holy boldness and confidence in it But instead of insisting upon this way of proof from the very nature and constitution of the Gospel I shall content my self with a few more Scripture-proofs besides what I first mentioned in the entrance of this Character to shew that peace joy and holy boldness in the presence of God are great effects of a Gospel-way of serving God Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the SPIRIT is love joy peace c. By the spirit is meant either the gospel or the holy ghost which is conveighed by it or that better part which is within us called so in opposition to the Flesh or if you will all three and then the sense is this The Spiritual or New-nature within us brought forth by the Holy Ghost in the preaching of the Gospel hath such fruits as these Love Joy Peace c. So Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God that is the Gospel where it comes in power is not meat and drink that is it consists not of these chiefly if at all but it is righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost these are the great designs and effects of the Gospel And we know that the Gospel is the great ministration of the Spirit who is given in the Gospel as a Comforter as an earnest of the inheritance as an Advocate within us teaching us to cry Abba Father It were endless to give all the places which make for the proof of this proposition that the Gospel hath great joys and comforts attending it and that the opposite way to it of serving God which is by the Law can have no such thing If it should be here objected that it 's strange Obj. if the Gospel-way be so full of comfort and boly boldness in the presence of God so attended with the Spirit of Adoption as you have declared that there should be so many sad drooping desponding Saints as there are that though they live holily and we cannot but think they are good men yet are not acquainted with any of those comforts durst not call God Father are full of fears and doubts touching the favour of God towards them c. I confess that this is a considerable objection Ans But I must answer it much after the same manner as I discoursed upon that which I might have made the third character viz. that a Gospel-Spirit was vigorous quick and lively in the service of God that a Legal-spirit was weak sluggish and unactive For I meet with the same kind of Christians in this Objection that then I met with who durst not be tried by that character First of all therefore I acknowledge there are many sad souls whom I cannot but think to be godly and true Gospel-saints and so much I acknowledged in giving the second distinction 〈◊〉 this character But Secondly I dare say the Gospel hath comforts for them if they could but receive them which yet the Law hath not in it for the Legallists no the Law is full charged with wrath against them and did they but fully understand what infinite treasures of wrath the Law contains in it self for them there is never a Legallist in the world but would be fuller of horror and desperation than were Cain or Judas Thirdly Setting aside what may be of extraordinary dispensation in the troubles of some Saints I think it 's generally their own fault that they have no more comfort and considence than they have God would have us rejoice Rejoice is the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoice Phil. 4.4 Rejoice evermore 1 Thes 5.16 The Gospel would have us rejoice
by the Apostleâ— a spirit of bondage of a servant of a slave a spirit of bondage to â—ear And for this I shall have recourse to Mr. Smith of Cambridge in his Discourse of Superstition who hath indeed a rich vein of his own and excellent quotations out of other Authors and hath in that Discourse many things applicable to my present purpose In it he makes Superstition according to the etymology of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consist in an over-timerous dreadful apprehension of the Deity for w th he quotes Helf ychius whotakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all one expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a superstitious person is one that is very prompt to worship the gods but withall is very fearful of them and Mr. Smith tels us that Superstition is indeed nothing else but a false opinion of the Deity that renders him dreadful terrible as being rigorous imperious that which represents him as austere and apt to be angry And he further tells us that Plutarch hath thus defined it in his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A strong and passionate opinion and such a supposition as is productive of a fear debasing and terrifying a man with the representation of the Gods as grievous and hurtful to mankind Besides he tells us That wicked men whom he makes the superstitious are apt to account the Divine Supremacy as but a piece of Tyranny that by its soveraign will makes too great encroachments upon their rights and properties and therefore are slavishly afraid of him I shall recite but two quotations more out of him which I am not a little affected with the one is out of Plutarch the other out of Maximus Tyrius Plutarch's is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that if we understood God aright it would beget a freedom and liberty of soul within us an hope from vertuous actions and not gender to a spirit of Bondage which is the Apostles own phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other of Maximus Tyrius is as remarkable in his dissert 4. concerning the difference betwixt a friend and a flatterer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the sense whereof is this The pious man is Gods friend this is onely I think said of Abraham the great Believer the supersliticus is a flatterer of God and indeed most happy and blest is the condition of the pious man Gods friend but right miserable and sad is the state of the superstitious The pious man emboldned by a good Conscience and encouraged by the sense of his integrity comes to God without fear and dread but the superstitious being sunk and deprest through the sense of his own wickedness comes not without much fear being void of all hope and considence and dreading the gods as so many tyrants It is no small pleasure to me to read heathens thus rightly apprehending and expressing this twofold way of approaching to God which altering but the number of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looks so like that which is Divine and Apostolical Now for all this which here I have transcribed out of Mr. Smith touching superstition I reckon it may be well applyed to the Legallist and I shall not need to add any more in describing their slavish fear of God The second distinction which I promised was of the degrees of fear The second distinction of fear and this distinction is likewise very necessary for that such is the weakness of the Saints themselves that many of them may have a great degree even of slavish fear of God and may be far gone under a Spirit of Bondage The Saints of the Old-Testament by reason of the darkness of their dispensation were in a great measure generally under this fear and 't is an observation of some how solid I leave to others to judge that therefore the Saints of the Old-Testament are so commonly known by that Name Such as feared the Lord because their dispensation was so legal and dark and attended with a Spirit of Bondage but however that observation be censured I am sure the Apostle makes an assertion somewhat like it In Gal. 4.1 2. That the heir as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though he be Lord of all even so we when we were children were in bondage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense is this peremptorily The true spiritual Seed and heirs according to the Promise had much of a spirit of bondage and fear in the dayes of the Old-Testament and so still it is very possible and often found that many true Saints heirs of God as then they differed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing that is nothing to speak of so now they differ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very little such is their weakness from servants by reason of the great mixtures of bondage and fear which they have in their spirits in the service of God but yet now though I have allowed this great mixture of a Spirit of bondage in the Saints even to a great degree yet I affirm that now and in all ages past the Saints and wicked Legallists are to be discerned and distinguished the one from the other by the degrees of this fear as truly as before I distinguisht them in the kinds of fear for as much as the Saints of God have or may have of a slavish fear in the service of God yet they have all enough of that spirit of adoption and holy boldness so as to over-ballance it and to enable them to cry Abba that is â—ather which a meer Legallist hath not but is overborn by his fears and acts towards God onely under the anguish and incitation of a spirit of Bondage Yea though the gospel bring so much more of the Spirit of Adoption and Son-ship with it than the Old-Testament did that in comparison with it the Old-Testament be called a killing-letter and a Ministration of death yet I shall make this further assertion That all the true Saints of God even under the Old-Testament had so much of a Spirit of Adoption as did over-ballance their slavish fear and spirit of bondage in the service of God and the reason is this for that God hath in all ages accepted of men only as they treated with him upon Gospel-terms and principles A spirit of a slave was alwayes unacceptable unto God The two Covenants as I have shewn at large were in Moses his time and Abraham's time and the one gendered to bondage that was that from Mount Sinai the other unto liberty and that is from Mount Zion the new Jerusalem which is the Mother of us all that are shall be or ever were the true sons and heirs of it therefore they had always in a SUFFICIUNT DEGREE a spirit of liberty of
God hath sent forth the SPIRIT of his SON into your hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4 3 4 5 6. It is by Christ's coming that we are freed from that external fleshly way of serving God in a worldly Sanctuary and by carnal Ordinances It was almost impossible whilst it was the duty of the people of God to worship God with so much ceremonial service but they should dote too much upon those externals of worship But saith our Saviour â—he hour cometh and NOW is that is in the dayes of the Gospel that neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem shall men worship the Father but in spirit and truth John 6.21.23 and the reason was this for that Christ was the substance of those shadows which therefore vanished at his coming The truth is the great thing that we have to mind as Christians is the knowledge of Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. And I have often thought that they who would study the Gospel aright should endeavour to find out what there is peculiar in the Gospel above whatever was before revealed for they shall find that in the Gospel there is the hidden wisdom of God revealed such mysteries of wisdom as were before hidden from ages and generations and I believe there is no greater prejudice to the advance of knowledge in Theology or the knowledge of God than that it is so generally presumed yea and assertedthat there is nothing in a manner new in the Go spel neither precepts nor promises but that the Faith of the Saints in all ages was the same that it is now onely they appreheuded the same things somewhat more obscurely then we do and so for the Precepts that they were always the same Now this presumption will unavoidably hinder all further enquiry and the New-Testament shall signifie no more to us then the old will do and so we shall necessarily put our selves again under the Legal instead of the Evangelical Administration serving God in the OLDNESS OF THE LETTER which is the Law and not in the NEWNESS OF THE SPIRIT which is the Gospel Rom. 7.6 Whereas to any diligent and unprejudiced enquirer it will appear that there are a thousand new things in the Gospel and all of them referring more or less to Christ I shall give but two Scriptures for this and so come to the application of the character The first is this in Col. 1.26 27. I am made a Minister saith the Apostle to fulfil the Word of God even the Mystery which hath been hid FROM AGES AND GENEEATIONS but NOW IS MADE MANIFEST TO HIS SAINTS to whom God would make known the riches of this Mystery amongst the Gentiles which is CHRIST IN YOU the hope of Glory Christ is all the Mystery all the mysterious things of the Gospel are to be more or less referred to Christ The second Scripture is Eph 3. of which I might transcribe more then half the chapter see ver 9. To make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mysterie which from the beginning of the world hath been HID IN GOD See Marlorat in loc who CREATED ALL THINGS BY JESUS CHRIST This saith Calvin Non tam de prima creatione interpretari libet quam de instauratione spirituali circumstantia enim loci postulat ut de renovatione intelligamus quae continetur in beneficio redemptionis That is This creation of all things by Jesus Christ is not so much to be understood of the first creation of the world as of the instauration and renovation or new Gospel-state of things into which God hath put them by Jesus Christ So the next verse unavoidably carries the sense ver 10 11. To the intent that NOW unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN by the Church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he PURPOSED IN CHRIST JESUS our Lord What did not the Angels know the Mysteries of the first creation till the dayes of the Gospel Oâ— are they instructed by the Church in the Mysteries of the first Creation Are Christians as such so great natural Philosophers as that Angels may come and learn of them The sense therefore is plainly thus That in the dayes of the Gospel there is a quite new Model and new constitution of things by vertue of the Mediatorial Kingdom which Jesus Christ hath received of his Father and much of this the Angels learn from the Church Who therefore but a rank Legallist will study Jesus Christ I come now to the application of the Character The application of the Character first to the discovery of partial Legality And here I shall somewhat alter my method which I used in the application of the other Characters for here I shall begin with the discovery of partial Legality which may be found in the Saints from this Character and afterwards come to predominant Legality from it First of all then Is our New-Testament-Faith to act so much upon Jesus Christ yea upon him immediately for all things for pardon for strength of Grace for temporal deliverances c Then these Saints are much too blame and greatly guilty of Legality that go to God without Christ in any measure If men go to God in the daves of the Gospel and where the Gospel hath been preached 〈◊〉 for I have to do with none other at this time I say if such men go to God without Christ altogether they are not Saints at all cannot be Saints of these I shall speak â—non But there are a generation of Saints and perhaps the greatest number who do truly believe in Christ that yet go to God without Christ in a great measure they are Christians Doctrinally but yet they are not well versed nor practised enough in treating with Christ and with God through Christ but make their immediate applications to God almost in every prayer in every act of Faith they cannot speak in a Gospel Dialect but are as if they were still living in the daies of the Old Testament where that a man feared and believed in God was his great character of Saintship Nay I would adventure to make this censure of hundreds of Christians that are good and holy men that were it not for the doctrine of satisfaction to the Justice of God which hath an hold upon them they do not discover wherein they have any need or use of Jesus Christ at all either as King or Prophet of his people though indeed they wil consent unto all these things when they are preached therefore in charity must be conceived to have that respect unto Christ which is necessary even in these particulars also I think many Ministers are greatly to blame who are otherwise good men in that they preach no more of Christ unto their people That this is Legality where it is found I think there is no need of further proof this character sufficiently
world now the whole World becomes guilty before God by the law and every mouth is silenced and stopped by it I do not say that the law as given to the Jews by Moses had this effect upon the Gentiles to whom it was not given but the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.15 how this came to pass that the law though not given to the Gentiles in the same manner as it was to the Jews did yet convince and condemn the Gentiles as well as the Jews because the effect and substance of the same law that was written upon Tables of Stone by Moses was written in the hearts of the Gentiles so that their thoughts did accuse them when they did evil as well as excuse them when they did well Now hence I draw an argument a minorâ—â— If the law written upon the hearts of the Gentiles though obscurely had yet an accusing and condemning power in it to them how might it well have upon the Jews to whom it was delivered plainly written and engraven in stones with thunder lightning earthquakes as is before expressed That which I have to add upon the third great end of the Law it's being delivered viz. to direct and bring the wounded sinner to Christ O How 〈…〉 Christ is by way of answer to this question How did the Law lead to Christ I shall give several answers unto this question and first of all The Law was our School-master unto Christ A. â—â— as the Dispensation of the Law made way for the Dispensation of the Gospel Sowre things make the sweet more pleasant Darkness makes Light more desirable Slavery and Severity makes Liberty more welcom Quineseâ—t servâ—re nescit imperare the School makes fair way for the University This consideration makes the succession of the Gospel to the Law more comely and it is insisted on very much by the Apostle in Gal. 4 for the seven first verses Ver. 3. When we were Children we were in bondage unto the Law but when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son to redeem us into liberty and to give us the spirit of sons Gal. 3 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law and kept under by the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith but after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-Master it would now be an incongruous thing to be under a School-master any longer as it was very convenient that before we should be and thus the Law was a School-master unto Christ as John Baptist was by its severities to humble us and break our hearts and to make us 〈◊〉 people ready prepared for the Lord. And the beauty great conveniency of the succession of these two Administrations of the Law Gospel each to other appears still in the great work of Conversion upon every sinners heart where the same method is observed first to humble the soul by legal convictions then to make a discovery of Christ the Grace of the Gospel And this our practical Divines insist much upon in their Sermons and Treatises giving us this account of the Work of Grace upon the heart that first there is conviction compunction and humiliation all yet a legal work then Faith or Conversion And I do verily believe that the Spirit of God doth use this method though as all acknowledge not with the same degrees in every work of Regeneration And again they observe that as after the Gospel and Faith is come it is absurd to return to the Law of Moses in the whole Dispensation of it so they apply that Scripture Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear to this purpose That after men have received the Spirit of Adoption which in some degree every regenerate person hath received they receive not again the spirit of bondage to fear which they take to be a spirit of legal convictions preparatory to the Work of Conversion and indeed according to the Calvinist-principles it must needs be true that after they are regenerate they can never receive a spirit of Bondage again because a spirit of bondage is not Grace but onely preparatory to it and therefore men that have once been regenerate can never return to this Spirit without being emptied of all Grace But here it may be further queryed Q How did the Law direct those to Christ that lived and lived before Christ came that indeed it is not to be doubted that the Law in the dispensation of it made excellent way unto the Gospel for those that were to live in the days of the Gospel as we find in the Analogical succession of Law and Gospel in the Work of Grace but how was the Law a School-Master unto Christ to those that lived in the dayes of the Old-Testament Who dyed before Christ came How were they directed to Christ by the Law The Law might perhaps be a Ministration of death and desperation only to them How did the Law witness the righteousness of God by Faith unto them In answer I shall first of all premise these two things and then answer more directly 1. Negatively that to these it must not come to destroy the promise and the covenant that was made before nor the comfort of it It must not come to hinder but they might have as true saving comfort from the promises as the Saints before the Law had or else the Law had been against the promises which the Apostle denyes with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. It must preach Christ to them as truly though perhaps not so clearly as it doth unto us Thirdly and more directly The Law did preach Christ to the Jews under the Old-Testament these two ways 1. Virtually or consequentially 2. Formally and expresly 1. Virtually as it convinced them all of their necessity of some other besides a legal Righteousness as I have shewn at large in explaining the second end of giving the Law because of transgressions 2. Expresly as it made mention of Christ and this it did either improperly figuratively in types and shadows or properly in the prophecies and promises of Christ Or the answer may be better given after this distinction of the Law A different acceptation of the Law in the Scripture The Law in Scripture amongst the various significations of it hath these two very eminent 1. It signifies the strict and bare command and so is naturally a Covenant of Works that hath no mercy or grace in it can onely justifie the righteous and condemn the transgressor and in this sence it hath been taken by me for the most part hitherto in my Discourse I have produced several places where it is taken in this sence in the Scripture Take that for instance As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse as it is written Cursed
will not like this neither and it is because it is the duty of the Creature to serve its Creator whether he promiseth any reward or no. Now this will not look neither like a Gospel-principle being the very Law of Creation Well then what principles will they suggest for Gospel-principles Why such as these Love and Ingenuity and Gratitude and apprehending an excellency in the wayes of God Now I confess these are good principles and these are right Gospel-principles the fruit of the Spirit is love And we love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 which is gratitude Shall we continue in sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace and that so Grace may abound God forbid This were highly disingenuons Rom. 6.1.15 And in keeping thy Commandments there is great reward Psal 19.11 There is a sight of the excellency of the precept But pray observe that where nobleness and ingenuity is the onely Principle of Actions there is no necessity for any thing to be done at all for actions of nobleness and ingenuity and gratitude come under no Law but are left free to the Agent to do or not to do only that hereby as he doth them or not the Agent will discover whether he be of an unworthy Spirit or no. And thus these men have brought things to a fair pass that God is to be served under the Gospel onely upon courtesie so that any that will may slip their neck out of Christs yoke and their back from under his burthen or else they must acknowledge that men ought to serve God because there is a MUST upon it 't is our duty as Creatures if we will not there is an Hell to punish but to encourage you in it if you will there is an Heaven to reward And what if a Legal Spirit go to work with these principles ONELY as indeed I think he hath no other and that he may have all these in a degree viz. the sense of his Obligation as a Creature the fear of Hell and some general hope of Heaven I say What if he may have all these principles are they evertheless good or unsuitable to the Gospel because he useth them If he used them to good ends or used them aright they would do him good as well as they do others good the reason why these do him no good is for that in the use of the same principles in the general which a good man may use A Legallist hath always these three gross defects that undo him Three ruining defects in the service of a Legallist First though the hope of Heaven in general as a place of happiness may somewhat quicken him in what he doth yet he hath no true notion or apprehension of Heaven that the happiness of it consists chiefly in likeness to God in holiness which if it were his notion of Heaven he could not find in his heart to desire it much less to endeavour after it The second gross defect is this All the endeavours that he makes to please God in one thing or in another as I have instanced in several wayes never reach to a thorough heart-work whereas that is the chief thing that God looks after because he is a Spirit the Father of Spirits And the lastthing is this That yet for all this slightiness hypocrifie of a Legal Spirit the very rule that he proceeds by in his expectations of his Reward is That God is bound to give it him as having well deserved it at his hands Now what though a Legallist may make use of the same principles that an Evangelical Spirit doth unsuccessfully yet what should hinder but the Evangelical Worshipper may use the same principles rightly and with acceptation from God May not a good thing be abused or not rightly used And doth this destroy the nature of it Let us now a little examine the word Mercenary because indeed it sounds harshly as if it were a low principle for a Christran to act towards God by and then we will see briefly what other Principles there are in conjunction with it in every true Saint of God The word Mercenary founds so ill meerly from the common usage of it not so much from the Etymology or native signification the Natural signification of it is when any one acts for wages or for a reward the use of it is when a man that is engaged to do courtifies or at least stands not in any need to receive courtesies will yet do no good turns for any without a good reward in his hand or well assured to him nay perhaps will do any mischief if he may be well rewarded so that Mercenariness is a Vice alwaies contrary to Nobleness that is more free to do than receive courtesies and often contrary to justice but now this Mercenariness especially as contrary to nobleness is a Vice onely or chiefly amongst equals and those that stand not in need of one another as for those that are far inferiour it is pride with them to be unwilling to receive courresies or rewards for wherefore are any advanced in place but that they may do good to those that are below them 'T is no dishonour at all for a poor man that wants bread to hire our his labour for a reward nor for a child that is bound to do what his facher commands to be encouraged by any reward that his father proposeth to any action Now let us apply these things to the bufiness before us and we shall see how ill or how well Mercenariness becomes us in our service of God First of all we are not here to consider the Saints as doing evill things for a reward that is the worst Mercenariness of all no but they serve God for a reward Now wherein can the sordidness of this Spirit lye is it that we need not to receive courtesies at the hands of God or that we cannot endure to receive a courtesie which we know we are not able to requite Such a struin of nobleness there is sometimes found amongst men out if we should aim at such a strain of nobleness with God How will such men ever offer to receive heaven especially when they did not work for it which makes it far more obliging Truely in my minde it is very high pride for a poor creature that is poor and blind and naked and in want of all things that when God offers to supply his poverty to cure his blindness to cover his nakedness he shall not be exceedingly over-joyed at it and seeing that these supplies are of this nature that they cannot be compleatly obtained till we come to heaven nor yet certainly obtained except we persevere whilest we are here to labour after them it seems a strange wantonness to me that men should not labor and own it that they do labour for them as the command is No fault in labouring for the reward except it be for the reward of a debt Labour for
principle shall be onely an humble love and gratitude and the action shall be a true useful and ingenious action wherein some real service shall be done for God I shall give an instance in the Apostle Paul in that place last mentioned 1 Cor. 9.17 18. a place where you have the Apostle doing two things one of necessity that had a wo upon it if he did it not so that whether he did it willingly or unwillingly he must do it and that was the preaching the Gospel the other purely voluntary and so free lest him that he might have done the contrary to what he did and not have sinned at all and that was as to his maintenance for preaching he might have expected from them that they should maintain him but he would not he would maintain himself and this he took such comfort in that he calls this his glorying as I take it and he would rather dye then that any man should make this his glorying void Now the principle of this his action was not Legal as if he thought by this to lay some obligation upon God or his Lord Christ Jesus for he knew that he was so far obliged to the Lord for his mercies that he could never lay an obligation upon God The principle therefore was onely this of gratitude and nobleness he had such a good Master that he could never do enough for and therefore when he had sent him to preach the Gospel which he must unavoidably do the Apostle spyed out an opportunity of doing his duty herein more effectually and that was if he would preach the Gospel upon free-cost though he was allowed by his Master to have demanded a reward and now spying out this how he might do an eminent service which yet was a free-will offering he catches at it and will rather dye then let go this opportunity Ver. 5. It were better for me to dye then that any man should make my glorying void upon which take this paraphrase of a learned Commentator I have preached the Gospel on free-cost and would rather choose to famish by doing so then be deprived of this way of advancing the Gospel and I would not for all the world lose this comfors and joy that I have preached to you without receiving any thing from you Here you see at the same time the Apostle can act from a principle of necessity and also of voluntariness or nobleness he preaches the Gospel from the consideration of a necessity and he takes nothing for his preaching out of a principle of nobleness and yet this second service is a real service and advantage to the Gospel not such a foolish thing as for men to whip themselves or to offer to the shrine of some Saint or to say such a tale of Pater nosters c. That therefore is another Christian Principle in acting for God viz. Gratitude and Nobleness I shall onely mention one more and it is this When one hath been used to serve God The last and highest principle of action is from the excellency of the work it self the wayes of God are so good in themselves that a man will find a great sweetness and satisfaction in them that they are the onely ways that perfect a mans nature they are the only ways that are rational he shall more and more see every sin to be a gross absurdity according to that Scriptuture Heb. 5.14 Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their sences exercised to discern good and evil And believe it this is an high attainment to have a sense of what is good and excellent and of what is evil and base and to love the first and hate the latter for it self this is certainly the very love and hatred that God himself hath Now though I have allowed that there are these three Gospel-principles of Love and Gratitude Nobleness and Generosity loving and hating things for their own desert which men may arrive at yet I dare not speak a light word of the three first principles mentioned especially of that first viz. of serving God as our Creator which I think wil be an everlasting principle of service after we have received the fullest reward And for those principles of acting in hope of the reward and to avoid Hell I say first as before that they are good and warrantable nay Evangelical principles of action and therefore cannot simply considered be reckoned for legal principles yet perhaps I might say this in agreement with those that make them characters of a legal spirit that if they could be discovered in any person to be the onely principle of action as in Ahab and Pharoah the avoiding the Judgements that they were sensible of to hang over them were visibly the onely motives of their religious acts that person might be adjudged legal But of this more when I come to speak of a Spirit of Bondage which is the next Scripture-Character that I shall give of a Legal Spirit Onely in the mean time I reckon that I have evinced that taking it in the general without that distinctness in which we are to proceed so it is not a sufficient argument nor any argument at all of a Legal Spirit to act towards God for fear of punishment or in hope of the reward I come now to a third Character of a Legal Spirit The third Character of a Legal Spirit and it is this To be under a Spirit of Bondage is an argument of a Legal Spirit That this is an Argument or Character of a Legal Spirit first let us see some Scripture-proof and then I shall come to shew what a Spirit of Bondage is Now for Scripture-proof I think there is no Character of a Legal Spirit plainer in the Scripture then this I reckon indeed that the first viz. That it is external and fleshly in the serâ—ice of God was a plain Scripture-Character but I think this is rather plainer in Gal. 4.22 23. For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman but he who was of the bond-woman was born after the FLESH but he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants The one from Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage which is Hagar This is the Law-Covenant Ergo Legalists are under a spirit of Bondage and they that are predominantly or properly said to be under a spirit of Bondage are Legalists the Proposition is convertible by reason that a spirit of Bondage is a property of a Legal spirit Again for a little more Scripture-proof 1. 'T is proved from its contrary the spirit which is contrary to a spirit of Bondage is a spirit of Adoption or Son-ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now this Spirit of Adoption is a peculiar priviledge of the Gospel therefore the spirit of Bondage must belong to the Law Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the
to explain the great term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tells us That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies any virtue or goodness in a man whatsoever and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing else but to be approved as a good man or A doer of what is righteous and good and that BECAUSE he doth that which is good and righteous Having made this great observation of which I shall make more use anon I shall proceed with my Character That an affected ignorance of Christ is an infallible Character of a Legal Spirit I have given a Scripture for it viz. Phil. 3.7.8 to the 15. upon which I have so long insisted I shall give now the reason of it which is this For that all pardon of sins which is the greatest thing in Gospel-justification was ever by virtue of the death of Christ All the symbolical and vailed-Gospel of the old Testament pointed though darkly unto Christ The rock in the Wilderness was Christ the Serpent was Christ the Manna was Christ the Scape-Goat was Christ the Paschal Lamb was Christ and in the fulness of time Grace and the Truth of these types came by Jesus Christ Therefore those that are affectedly ignorant of Christ are affectedly ignorant of all that looked like Gospel and so of Gospel-Grace it self nothing can be a plainer argument of Legality then this And indeed we may almost adventure to say That most men so far as they are ignorant of Christ in these days of the Gospel they are affectedly ignorant I deferred this Character till the last because I would first put all those Characters together in which the faith of all the Old-Testament-believers and ours did agree All the Old-Testament Saints were more for spiritual heart-worship than for the externals of Religion they were all in their degree humble and patient they were all in their degree quick lively and vigorous they had all a spirit of adoption in their measure they were all of a sweet meek and kind heart and spirit not of a persecuting principle but I cannot say they all knew Christ in his death resurrection ascension and intercession nay I should lye if I should say it these things are peculiar to faith under the dayes of the Gospel St. Peter and the other Apostles were all ignorant of these things Luke 18. from verse 31. to 35. Now I shall shew briefly the peculiar additionals of a Gospel-faith or rather a New-Testament Faith without which ours cannot be Evangelical enough and so not justifying and saving And without performing this part of my Work I should be guilty of a great absurdity for taking up so many pages in describing the Faith of the Old-Testament Saints or of justifying-faith which was common to us and them and in the mean time to pass by that which is proper to our selves and as necessary as any thing which hath been spoken to I affirm therefore that we are to know and believe in Christ as the PROCURING CAUSE of all our mercies and the DISPENSER of all good things to us These are the two great things which we are to know and believe concerning Christ to which we must add the meditation imitation of our Saviour as a pattern in his Life Death Resurrection and Ascension in all which our Faith hath a great usefulness and necessity and unless our Faith hath a great and very considerable respect unto Christ in all these three particulars we cannot justly put on the name of Christians That old Faith of Abraham and all the Saints of the Old-Testament which St. Paul disputes for and proves they were justified by it hath now a further Name and is called the Christian Faith having taken up that great Object Christ more explicitely and plainly then ever they received it I shall say somewhat but as briefly as I may unto all the three generals wherein our Faith is now necessarily to eye Jesus Christ that it may be of a right Gospel strain 1. We must believe in Christ as the great procuring cause of all our mercies 1. By his blood and offering Therefore a right New-Testament Faith eyes Christ as the procuring-cause of all our mercies and this in two respects viz. by his offering up himself a sacrifice and by his intercessions 1. By his dying for us and offering up himself he hath bought us Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6 20. Thou hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood Rev. 5.9 His blood was the price of our redemption by shedding of this and offering it up to God he became a propitiation for our sins and we our selves are the purchase of this Price Acts 20.28 The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood We are purchased and redeemed from the world Gal. 1.4 From our vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Yea Heaven it self is purchased by his blood for us for I doubt not but that is it which is called the purchased possession Eph. 1.14 Now see if we have not reason nay if there be not absolute necessity if we would be right Christians to know Christ and believe in him as the procuring-cause of all our Mercies and that by his Death and Blood and offering himself He hath by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Now our Faith as it eyes thus the death of Christ is called faith in his blood and Justification follows upon this Faith onely Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 5.8 9. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then BEING NOW JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD we shall be saved from wrath to come I shall mention no more Scriptures to prove that Christ is the procuring-cause of all our mercies by his death and blood only I shall describe what this faith in his blood is and I shall express it thus It is a judging the death and offering of Christ either upon the Cross or in the holy of holies into which he entered by his own blood Heb. 9.12 to be the great propitiation of God who without this offering had decreed no◠to pardon sins by which he became propitious and appeased and for it receives all true penitents into his favour that is for the judgement or assent of faith to the dogmatical truth in this matter then for its affiance faith in the blood of Christ it is a not doubting but whilst I have the Gospel-condition of Justification what ever it be this blood will procure my pardon or thus in the way of holiness to rest upon God for pardon for the sake of Christ's blood-shedding and offering it to God Now this faith in the blood of Christ I look upon as an
Christ as the ultimate object of our Faith but only as he is the Mediator and great Dispenser of all things to us by a Power derived from the Father For this take that eminent place 1 Pet. 1.21 Who BY HIM that is Christ DO BELIEVE IN GOD that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God This I do but touch upon here it would require a large Treatise to speak unto it as the subject deserves viz how we are to direct our Faith and applications to Jesus Christ in a different manner then to God the Father but this is that which I am upon That in the general we are to six our Faith upon Christ as the great Dispenser of all good things unto us if we would have it of a right Gospel-strain nay if we expect to be justified by our faith for if God set up a Mediator a Dispenser of all his bentsits as Pharoah pardon the allusion set up Joseph and required that all men should go to him for what they wanted will he think you take it well that you should take no notice of his Joseph his dearly beloved and onely begotten Son But come to himself immediately dare you do it Can you ever hope for acceptation in this way of addressing your selves to God Might you not justly fear that God will prove a consuming fire to you in in such approaches So much for the second general head in which our Faith is to respect Jesus Christ But 3dly there is something more requisite yet to be done by our Faith with respect to Christ than meerly to look upon him as the procuring-cause and the dispensing-cause of all our mercies if we would have it a right New-Testament-faith or a Justifying-Faith in the dayes of the Gospel our Faith must conform us unto Christ as a pattern and example Now there is a two-fold conformity unto Christ which our Faith effects one Proper the other Analogical that which is proper is to put us upon doing as he did to be as he was humble meek lowly c. Learn of me saith Christ these things and ye shall receive rest unto your souls Matth. 11.29 Phil. 25.6 Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus who made himself of no reputation c. Looking unto Jesus who Heb. 12.2 But then there is an Analogical conformity which Faith effects and that is an answerableness to some things in Christ which it is not our duty to imitate in a proper sense as now to be conformable unto Christ in his death burial and resurrection these we cannot in a proper sense be conformable unto him in except we be hanged upon a cross till we are dead then laid in our graves then raised by the power of God c. Now these things are not our duty to go about to imitate properly but only in some resemblance and likeness Our Faith must bring us to the cross of Christ and teach us the crucisixion and mortification of our old man with the affections and lusts of it it must bring us to the grave of Christ and we must be there buryed with him Rom. 6.1.4 We are buried with him by baptism into death and by this death and burial we must reckon our selves to be dead unto sin ver 11. He that is dead is sreed from sin ver 7. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ver 2. Yea our Faith must earry us yet further beyond death and the grave into heaven it self we must rise with him into newness of life For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection Ver. 5. And as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Ver. 4. And we must sit together with him in heavenly places in our affections at least If ye be riser with Christ seek these things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your assections on things above not on things on the earth for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.1 2 3. Faith in the dayes of the Gospel carries us to the example and pattern of Christ conforms us to it both in a proper and Analogical conformity so that we have something in us that bears some Analogy and likeness to every thing that is to be found in Christ But because this third respect wherein our saith eies Jesus Christ looks more like obedience then faith more like sanctification than that by which most expect justification and seeing this is not the proper place to shew how far obedience and holiness and good works have an influence upon Justification I shall not insist more upon this contenting my self with the two other respects in which faith eies Jesus Christ viz. As the procurer and dispencer of all good things unto us which none can with any fair pretence deny to be necessary to our faith as justifying in the days of the New-Covenant Now to quicken and so to end this Character viz. That so far as we leave out Christ we are Legal in the business of Justication I shall represent the Reader with the example of St. Paul which I have glanced at already who was once highly legal end afterwards as eminently evangelical and that in the daies of the Gospel And I should think Solomon himself was not a fitter person to give an account of the vanity of worldly comforts than St. Paul was to acquaint us with that vanity vexation of spirit that there is in pretended legal righteousness as also with that perfect satisfaction which the Evangelical righteousness brings into the soul and 't is from him indeed and from his Epistles no doubt indited by the Spirit of God that this whole discouse hath been raised He was as to his descent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hebrew born of Hebrew parents both father and mother and of a special and beloved tribe and circumcised the eighth day exactly according to the Law for his profession of the strictest sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in observation of the Law a Phaisee for his zeal in his profession it was exceeding great I prosited saies he Gal. 1.14 in the Jew's Religion above many my equals in mine own nation being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of my fathers And there was no greater argument of his being an high Legal list than this That he was a bitter persecutor of the way of the Gospel as he tells us in three several Epistles Gal. 2.13 Beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Phil. 3.6 concerning Zeal persecuting the Church 1 Tim. 1.13 You have his catalogue of privileges altogether Phil. 3.4 5 6 and there he makes a challenge to any Jew any Pharisee of them all to shew the same
Now this being the great means of transferring Justification from the Law to Faith I shall a little insist upon the Explication of it That which I have to say upon it will be contained in these two assertions 1. That Christ in his own person here upon earth undertook the Law and answered it in all that it had to say against us And whereas it was a killing letter he took out this condemning power of it for all believers 2. That this was done by Christ for all ages of the Church and so it was and is the great foundation of that Justification by faith which the Apostle Paul contends to have been in all ages before the Law under the Law and in the dayes of the Gospel to the end of the world so that the way of Justification by faith comes in kindly and in a comely manner without any neglect or violation of the Law I begin with the first assertion That Christ in his own person here upon earth undertook and answered the Law The first assertion That Christ undertook answered the law for us c. Now to prove and illustrate this assertion it will be usefull to us 1. To consider in what condition the Lord Christ found us when he came into the world as a Saviour We were therefore all of us Jewes and Gentiles We were all under the law when Christ came to save us prisoners to the Law I shall give the account of this in the Apostle's expressions which are somewhat mystical to which I hope I shall adde some light by laying them together and comparing them one with another Before Christ came and before faith came and so at the time when Christ came when faith came in the doctrinal discovery or at any time doth come to us in the hearty closing with it We were kept under the Law Gal. 3.23 the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law had set a guard upon us and as it follows we were shut up unto the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we were all shut up as so many prisoners unto the Law and under its guard and custody and in Rom. 7.6 speaking of the Law the Apostle saith We were held by it that being dead that is the Law wherein we were HELD or by which we were detained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For though these places in the Galatians and Romanes may referr to the different dispensations of the Old Testament and New that before the dayes of the Gospel when faith came to be preached men were under a legal dispensation they were kept under the Law and shut up to the faith that was to be revealed yet I dare affirm that there is a deeper meaning then that at least a deeper truth then that if not in those places which is this That till Christ and the way of Justification by faith be made known to the soul the soul must needs be under a legal frame â—f heart towards God under fear and bondage â—ay and a further sense then this yet and that â—s this That till the virtue of the blood of Christ â—e applyed to the soul till actual Justification â—y or upon faith every man lies under the curse â—nd threatning and wrath of the Law the Law â—ath taken hold of us all an evident signe of â—hich is this That death hath passed upon all and â—hat is the reason why for that all have sinned â—om 5.12 And if any could plead exemption from this abnoxiousness to the Law it must be either the â—â—ntiles that had not the Law as the expression is â—â—m 2.14 that is had not the Law given to â—â—em or those that lived before the Law was â—ven by Moses now neither of these can plead â—is exemption therefore all mankinde were â—ptives to the Law when Christ undertook the â—ork of Redemption or rather until the desigâ—ation of Christ by the Father to this work For the first viz. the Gentiles the Apostle tells us that he had proved them under sin which is the transgression of the Law therefore under the Law and their thoughts within them did accuse for their breach of the Law which was written in their hearts Rom. 2.14 Neither were they free from this arrest of the Law who lived before the delivery of the Law by Moses for the Apostle tells us plainly Rom. 5.13 That untill the Law sin was in the world that is from Adam till the time that the Law was solemnly given by Moses sin was in the world now sin is the transgression of the Law and accordingly as sin was in the world all that space of time from Adam to Moses so Death reigned from Adam to Moses Now we know that death 〈◊〉 the wages of sin and the strength of sin is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 Sin could never have brought in death but by the Law which bindes sin upon the sinner and with sin the punishment due to it therefore all that space of time from Adaâ— to Moses sin and death being in the world 〈◊〉 they were to be sure there was the Law in its power energy it was there in effect as sure 〈◊〉 it was in the hearts consciences of Heathens and the Grave was the Law 's Prison Death it's Arrest Sin it 's great Charge and Accusation by and upon which Death entred Sin entred in the world and death by sin upon the threatningâ— the Law Rom. 5.12 This was the state and condition therefore that Christ found us in wâ— were all under the Law as Prisoners and Captives therefore when the Father sent fort Christ upon the work of Redemption it is saâ— Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman mâ—â— under the Law to redeem them that were under 〈◊〉 Law This was written to the Galatians who were Gentiles That we putting himself and the Galatians together might receive the adoption of Sons therefore the Gentiles were under the Law when Christ was sent forth for their redemption And our Saviour tells us what he was commissionated to by his Father Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES and recovering of sight to the blinde to set at liberty them that are bruised or bound as it is in Isai 61.1 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord that is the Year of Jubilee when all servants were set free thus Christ's coming was to proclaim a Year of Jubilee to the whole world that the Law 's Captives should be delivered and those that served God under the tyranny of the Law might receive a spirit of Adoption So now thus farr we are gone in our proof of the first assertion that when Christ came as a Saviour and Redeemer of his people he found them all under the Law as the lawfull Captives and Prisoners unto it by reason of their sins which were
grounds and reasons of fleshly considence and boasting that he could shew for himself If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might boast in the flesh I MORE Now if there had been any goodness in that way of a Pharisaical righteousuess which S Paul with his utmost zeal pursued after cectainly he must have fonnd it But as soon as ever the Lord was pleased to call him by his grace and to REVEAL HIS SON IN HIM Gal. 1.15 16 he casts away all his riches and treasures of a legal righteousness as dross dung and dog's-meat not fit for children to feed upon and what is it that he embraceth what is it that can thus metamorphose and transpose him what doth he see what hath he espied in the Gospel Why it is Christ a single Christ He sells all that he had to buy this Pearle and thinks himself made for ever if he can but compass such a purchase Yea doubtless saith he I count all these but dung that I may WIN Christ or gain Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 So we have seen the metamorphosis the transformation of this man his leaving all his Pharisaical Legal Righteousness for a single Christ we will see a little further what use he makes of Christ now that he hath chosen him and thus centred his soul upon him Why he will needs know more of him I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Phil. 3.8 and saies he I count them but dung that I may win Christ and that I may know him ver 8.10 There are indeed all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him as St. Paul tells us Col. 2.3 and therefore well might he press after the knowledge of him Again he will love him If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed 1 Cor. 16. ver 22. He will believe in him I would be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through THE FAITH OF CHRIST Lastly he will make his glorying and boast of him and that is the highest honour we can do to God for men glory in that which they account their excellency yea St. Paul chooseth out that in Christ to glory in which is most contemptible in the eyes of the world and that is the cross of Christ which shews what an high esteem he had of him God forbid saith he that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 And though the blind world could see nothing in this Cross that they should rejoice or glory in yet St. Paul saw these great things in the Cross of Christ that upon it he vanquished Principalities and Powers Col. 2.15 that he removed all that from off us that was contrary to us nailing it to his cross so that he might well say as he doth Gal 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God that is through what the Law hath done to my Saviour it hath nothing to do with me I am dead to it and that is dead to me Again see another great efficacy that St. Paul espyed in the Cross of Christ and that was that it helped him to conquer the World God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ by which the world is crucified to me and I unto the world No wouder therefore if he chuseth the cross of Christ to glory in Once more we find him in another Scripture chusing his infirmities to glory in 2 Cor. 12.5 6 7 8 9 10. I take pleasure in insirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecution in distresses for Christ's sake And what is the reason why not onely for that these are a part of Christ's Cross but because when these things did press him down then did the arm of Christ support him and the Power of Christ rest upon him Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME for when I am weak then am I strong that is with the strength which is in Christ Jesus and therefore hedoth not only desire that he himself might thus know love believe and glory in Jesus Christ but he begs for others that they might have a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ Eph. 1.16 17. It were almost an infinite Work to trace St Paul in all the ways of his treating Christ and using of him take therefore one place for all Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ saith he nevertheless I live that is one Riddle I live yet not I there is another Riddle But whence arise these Mysteries Why from his conversing with and possessing of Christ I live but saith he 't is not I any longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh the whole of my life it is by the faith of the Son of God that is Faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Paul is dead he lives no longer but Christ lives in Paul if you will and then no wonder St. Paul can do all things as he tells us he can when such a person lives in him Phil. 4.12 13. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to the hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me Thus the whole of a Christians lise when he is like himself is a life of Faith upon Christ immediately his Flesh and Blood is his food his Grace and Spirit is his strength the living of Christ in him which is a Mystical expression is his life For you are dead and YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST in God Col. 3.3 That Christian therefore that is not intimately acquainted with Christ is so far legal The truth of this assertion is clear from this example for that as soon as ever St. Paul had Christ revealed in him he left all his legal righteousness and fastned upon Christ altogether in this manner which we have partly declared And indeed this is the Character of Characters all the other Characters before given signifie but little without this It is by means of Christs coming that we call God Father that we are freed from that slavish fear of God which even the Saints of the Old-Testament were under in a great measure the Heir before was kept in fear but when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons and because ye are Sons